The chamber was filled with an overwhelming sense of dread as Dave faced Vlad. Both men stood at the center of the base, surrounded by the bodies of fallen superhumans. The air between them crackled with tension, a looming battle that would determine the fate of one.
Dave clenched his fists, watching as Vlad's energy grew more potent. He could feel the pressure from Vlad's power, almost as if the air itself had become heavier.
"I'll give you one last chance to back down," Vlad growled, his voice deep and rumbling like a thunderstorm. "I don't mind sparing you if you surrender."
Dave's lips curled into a smirk. "I'm not here to surrender. I'm here to end you."
Vlad's eyes darkened as he stepped forward, his aura intensifying. Without warning, he rushed at Dave with blinding speed, his fists crackling with a dark energy that felt like raw destruction.
---
BAM!
Vlad's fist collided with Dave's arm as he raised it to block, the impact sending a shockwave through the room. The sheer force of the blow forced Dave back, his feet dragging across the ground as he absorbed the hit. Pain flared in his arm, but he gritted his teeth and pushed forward, refusing to back down.
Before Dave could react, Vlad unleashed a barrage of punches, each one faster and stronger than the last. Dave barely kept up, dodging and blocking where he could, but every hit felt like it was tearing at his very bones. Vlad's power was immense, far greater than any superhuman Dave had faced before.
"You're strong," Vlad sneered, throwing another punch that sent Dave crashing into the wall. "But you're nothing compared to me."
Dave groaned as he pulled himself out of the rubble. Blood trickled down the side of his mouth, but he didn't care. He wiped it away, his eyes narrowing as he activated his own strength, pushing his limits.
Without a word, Dave rushed at Vlad, teleporting behind him in a blink of an eye. Vlad's eyes widened, but he quickly spun around, meeting Dave's attack with one of his own. Their fists collided again, the impact shaking the entire base.
---
Vlad roared as his body erupted in dark flames, the heat searing the air. He swung wildly, flames trailing behind his fists as he tried to overwhelm Dave with sheer force. But Dave was faster, dodging and weaving between the strikes with precision.
"I've had enough of this!" Vlad bellowed, his voice booming through the chamber.
He slammed his hands together, and suddenly, the ground beneath them cracked and splintered as massive tendrils of darkness shot up from the floor, wrapping around Dave. The tendrils squeezed tightly, threatening to crush him. Dave struggled for a moment, feeling the intense pressure constricting his chest.
Vlad smirked, thinking he had Dave trapped. "You're finished."
But Dave's eyes gleamed with defiance. With a burst of raw energy, he shattered the tendrils, the dark energy dispersing into nothing. Vlad's smirk disappeared, replaced by a look of surprise.
---
Now it was Dave's turn.
He teleported again, appearing right in front of Vlad and delivering a brutal punch to his gut. Vlad doubled over, gasping for breath as the wind was knocked out of him. Before he could recover, Dave grabbed him by the throat and slammed him into the ground with enough force to leave a crater.
Vlad coughed up blood, but his eyes were still burning with rage. With a snarl, he unleashed a massive energy blast from his hands, the dark flames threatening to engulf Dave. But Dave had anticipated this.
Teleporting behind Vlad once more, Dave wrapped his arms around him in a powerful chokehold, using his immense strength to lock Vlad in place. Vlad struggled, his power flaring wildly as he tried to break free, but Dave's grip was unyielding.
---
"You... think you've won?" Vlad gasped, his voice strained as Dave tightened his hold. "I've fought wars... destroyed empires... You can't—"
With a final, brutal twist, Dave snapped Vlad's neck.
Vlad's body went limp, the dark energy surrounding him flickering and fading away like a dying flame. His once powerful aura disappeared, leaving nothing but silence in its wake. For a moment, Dave stood there, breathing heavily as he looked down at the lifeless body of the SS-ranked superhuman.
---
The fight was over.
Dave's body ached from the intense battle, but he ignored the pain. He wasn't done yet. Kneeling beside Vlad's corpse, he activated his mind control ability, his eyes narrowing as he focused.
Slowly, he reached into Vlad's mind, sifting through the memories and thoughts buried deep within. Despite the man's death, Dave could still access fragments of Vlad's knowledge—his plans, his connections, and more importantly, how he had come to power.
"What did you do to my sisters?" Dave growled under his breath as he continued to dig through Vlad's mind.
The memories began to flood in—vivid images of experiments, tortures, and vile acts committed by Vlad and others like him. Dave's fists clenched in anger as the truth of what Vlad had done to Sarah and Emily came to light.
---
The more he learned, the angrier he became. His control over Vlad's mind tightened, forcing out every last bit of information.
Finally, he stood up, his expression cold and unyielding. Vlad's body lay motionless at his feet, but Dave no longer cared. He had what he needed.
Turning away from the lifeless form, Dave started to plan his next move. The fight with Vlad had been tough, but it was just the beginning. There were more superhumans out there, and Dave wasn't going to stop until every last one of them was gone.